Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz Support the channel regardless of what your G.A.S. tells you to buy: EU: www.thomann.de/de/index.html?offid=1&affid=3105 US: link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-261103-9759
you know its bad when even the guy working in the music store (probably getting commission) cant in good conscience let you buy it without warning you! lol
My minilogue died I'm so gutted. Now I'm stuck with a bunch of my monos. Not going to complain though some people don't have anything. But what's up with programming on synthesizers. Most sound like they've been programmed by computers. So many that come with Presets so unmusical. Unlike the awesome Akai SGO1v vintage synth rompler, well, that's my only poly currently, now. Fantastic Insight on your Russian comment...
This series just shows that the person using the tools is more important than the tools themselves. You make all of these supposedly terrible pieces of gear sound great.
Well what makes gear bad is mostly not just the sounds itself, pretty much all gear can be used to make good music but that doesn't make it good gear in my mind as the work flow or technical issues that pester you over a longer period rather than to make on example track. Also for the price its way to limited, even the limided korg volca keys had a lfo and the price is less than half than what the Timbre Wolfs original retail price was.
@@Andor. There's definitely truth in both of these -- that the gear doesn't make the musician, but that there are objective qualities that gear can be judged on. The flipside of that is, if you can find a way to make consistent use of some piece of equipment that's overpriced, or too limited for anyone else to use, you end up with a sound that's even more uniquely yours.
So glad TH-cam recommended me this channel about a week ago. Been binge watching since! I always used to think the Timbre Wolf seemed too tonally limited, but then an owner said something that stuck with me: "If you look at it as a traditional poly synth, it's very limited. If you look at it as if someone made a more mellow tb-303, and gave it 4-parts/4-voices, it's actually pretty fun." Having listened more to it, I totally agree, and it's on my synth wishlist now. Might have to pick one up.
If you see synths as tools, there are tools to finish your work faster, with less hassle. I’d be interested if he has to put more time into these bad gear synths to produce the same results than he would with decent devices. Sure a master can work with bad gear, but how swift could he handle it with good gear?
I think with most other gear he sounds absolutely excellent, this time I didn't like the multi sound recording as the different elements sounded too similar due to the limitations of the synth. For example the EDM demo of the Roland A-01 sounds really great (and no, I'm not into EDM) and that synth also is very limited.
That's Talent for you. I'm sure someone with a lot of Talent could still bang out a great tune even, for example, out of an arranger like a Roland e86. And something that a lot of people don't actually realise is it also takes a lot of Talent to write a simple song that sounds amazing and not repetitive; but it is. Breath taking...
Funny that it's called "Timbre" wolf, but that its tonal possibilities are severally limited. 😂 You can see what they were trying to do and the sequencing and individual outs are actually pretty cool as you nicely show, but it's quite an odd release. Would be funny if it becomes the go to source for a new genre of music like the 303 did, which was also quite an odd invention for its intended purpose.
I would like to acquire one myself for the individual outs alone. The experimentation possibilities are endless when you factor in effects. My Behringer mixer allows me to record 12 tracks at a time so 4 simultaneous tracks running through individual sessions of Guitar Rig5 and then again through another channel with say some sidechain compression and a big reverb... I imagine getting some pretty wacky sounds out of it 😁
Funny that it should be called "wolf" too. It has the killer instinct of a new born lamb. It's quite gentle and as Florian said it came out at the wrong time when all the budget analogue synths were brutish, aggressive and bad ass. Don't write this synth off people, check out Mr Fairchild th-cam.com/video/PsynRTmFdPI/w-d-xo.html and Rejected Synths th-cam.com/video/5M0Wye61Ro0/w-d-xo.html and only then will you find out how it should sound.
I actually really dig the Timbre. I think alot of people are simply comparing it to their favorite poly synth as opposed to it's own thing. The character of the sound definetly has its uses in my arsenal. Demoing it in person was fun because the interface is set up great. And again, I really think the sound is great.
I'm a member of the Wolf pack, it blends with other synths really well and the bass is huge in the lowest octave, kind of like an old organ bass if set correctly with no resonance and limited cutoff
I used to think this thing was trash until I played with one. The fact that you can tweak the different notes is awesome. It’s a very unique synth. Its best used with chords. Not leads. It’s not made to sound like every other synth. It has character, which a lot of synths lack these days.
AudioPilz only would get one heavily discounted but yeah it puts you in a box and has a very mid range purpose lol but I honestly have never played any synth like it.
I managed to buy it (a bit under 200€) a few months after this episode. It's not very versatile, but it has a very particular tone to it that kind of reminds me of early analog "pianos". It can hold its own as an acid bass machine too. One thing you have missed in this review is that it has quite well tuned velocity sensitivity, which makes it even better at serving as an analog piano.
Having a Bad Gear Christmas day binge - the jam at 3:06 made my face scrunch up and my hand do a rude boy in da uk garage club style flick. good job. Merry Christmas!!
Because of this episode I went out and found one back in August and I must say I haven't used it yet but I do like it..the possibilities of what I'm going to do with it might be a little limited but that will open up my imagination
I'm pretty impressed by the results you came out with at the end of the video, I would still never consider getting the "timber wolf" but at least I know what it's capable of(even tho its really limited) and what sweet caracter it has, thanks for that AudioPilz :)
No fanboy shit here, but i have to admit - hainbach - look mum no computer and you are really blessing the synth part of my being :) it is somehow miraculous what you manage to get out of these no-go gadgets. And it looks so selbstverständlich ;) thanks for your enthusiasm and authenticity...
I don't care, I love it: it's very easy to build a pattern, and the A/B function is great. The sound variety is limited but the tone has some modesty that it fits any music
The more I think about it the more I believe it looks to be an analog SuperSaw trance machine I mean four voices that only do saw and square, small tuning range, perfect for manual detuning? It just makes so much sense to me.
I picked one up cheap as chips a few months back. I really like it, glad I didn't listen to the naysayers. Wouldn't have paid original RRP though. Sounds great with the 4 outs going into my DP4.
Ob es nun ein Aprilscherz ist (oder Vapoware) Behringer will das Teil nun als "Timbre Wolf" raus bringen und die Seite Synth Anatomy zeigt extra auf DICH Grund für mich das Video zu suchen und zu sehen . Danke dir !
My first analog synth. It was always out of tune, had to play many times a half step up to match the songs harmony (the tunning function didnt last for more than 10 minutes). Sold it for a couple of years, but kind of miss it too 😢
All say one thing about the timberwolf its great for hiphop baselines and g funk leads its no mini moog but i finially decided to to put it to use last night for a beat i was working on and i was impressed. Its definitely gonna be my go to for basslines It also makes a nice 808 type bass too .
The Timbre Wolf sounds warmer and more analog than other analog synths I've had and its sweet spots are simply superior than the sweet spots on my Minibrute 2. That synth's failure had to do with Akai's weird marketing of it and because people focused on what it lacked rather than what it offered. Like you said the sequencer is very good. Also, you can have a lot of fun with the poly mode taking advantage of the round robin. Just like the Korg Volca Keys it's a really good and inexpensive option for a poly analog. Even though it was always an unpopular synth, there are a few good videos out there that demonstrate just how good it sounds.
@@AudioPilz Haha yes. But somehow I became really curious about Akai Dan. I wanted to meet him and get the whole story. Did he love the synth? What flavor of chewing gum was that?
The Akai Timbre Wolf is a very interesting synth, has the same concept of a Korg Mono-Poly but with very limited options but one of the best functions is the sequencer, very easy to use and have 4 tracks with 16 steps plus another 16 steps as a variation per track, not bad, also you can calibrate the oscillators if it's get out of tune, good in any analog synth. The voices have individual outputs so you can record or process thru effects separately. For bass sound similar to a TB-303 is good, but the limitations on sound making are frustrating sometimes due a lack of parameters, it has USB and regular MIDI connections and a CV out useful for modular stuff. I can't complain I get mine for $120 new in box and is part of my gear, if you can get one cheap go for it but no more than $200.
I bought mine New in Walldorf Session for only 220€. That Was a good deal! There are really many ways to make it use. E. G. As oscillators for a modular System or a 303 Bass etc
The TW showed promise when I bought it, but was too tough with micro SMD to run 4 external CVs to the filter pots for external CV control via CV OCD. I regret trading my TW away though. OI have seen some very cool DIY mods to this. The filter is unique as it seems to sweep from low pass to a weird type of bandpass. Would not rebuy, but I still am howling in the wilderness for the loss of this dog!
Cudcha get it to sequence outboard gear polyphonically? Like on a Boss Dr.202's dedicated external midi track? I also hear ppl say its knobs output no midi messages. Is this absolutely true? If the first answer is "yes", it might be a serviceable midi brain for mobile synths, and it's built like a tank. In such case, I'd give it a go!
@@AudioPilz course he did. Just like MC303 demo guy went on to work with Hans Zimmer et al. Jokes on us. Haha. PS, you are so gracious to compare your keyboard skills to Dan's. I really appreciate your humility.
I was gifted one by my brother, and was like WHOA!! until I turned it on. I figured out why he gave it away. But I use it as a bass synth in my setup and it works great for that.
I have the timbre wolf, I had the curiosity to buy it, to say a positive comment it’s something from another planet. Pretty much is for those that want to make Acid Techno, it has good sequencing, and it makes good baselines. It’s a modular synthesizer, pretty much it’s used like a guitar, connect guitar pedals and it makes different sounds, it’s not an FM synth. Those that are talking smack about the Timbre Wolf, don’t know about synthesizers. I like the Timbre Wolf because it’s fun to make baselines and play around with the tweaks.
I do use the Rhythm Wolf and like it. It has serious limitations, but it's great for what it is. It's funny, when trying to figure out how to use it, I came to similar conclusion as you about low frequency and effects :D
It's got Akai and Wolf written on it. That spells 'doom' only uses more letters.... After that other Akai Wolf thing... They should have renamed it prior to release, might have had some kind of a chance. The rarity of it now tells it's own story. The other Wolf, the really hopeless one is really plentiful
@@AudioPilz You said you ended up paying over the odds. I like the challenge of getting separate sequencers all talking together. So the idea of another bit of kit which I have to get synced to everything else is quite appealing. I just have to be able to justify the expense of more new kit hence the hybrid nature of my hardware setup.
I got this thing for $200 all in a few years ago. The salesman was trying to talk me out of it but I could see some of its properties as a unique plus. Sequencer is very good, tone is limited tho 100% on point, ability to alter individual lines with pedals opens it up quite a bit. My only serious gripe is the tuning unable to down/up step by a full octave. This would've been really nice for mono mode.
@@AudioPilz ok there is the fisherprice toykeyboard for Babies from 1-3 years old, there are Button with Lion scream, Cats miau and Rhythems. Really evil, and not good for childeren with music talents...
You can see what went wrong here. It sounds like a 1970's home organ. It's called a 'Wolf' but it's a total . It has a 'howl' knob which seems like a contradiction in terms but I'm guessing it doesn't 'howl' as it doesn't get even a mention here. Perhaps it makes a sound like if you stepped on the cat. It has 'Timber' sides. . . . . . but they're not actually timber. It has individual outs for four voices that sound the same whatever you do to them. It's like, as Homer Simpson said. . . . . . Oppositeland. . . .🤯 Despite owning so many of the items featured on 'Bad Gear' I dodged this one and. . . . . . I think I'll probably keep it that way 😉
Great channel.. would love if it you could review a korg wave drum though that might be too neiche, i own one though trust me its 'bad gear.. hey what was your video where the best part of the song/jam you made was when you 'hit a black key' ive been binge watchign you and i cant remeber what episode it was.
Um ehrlich zu sein ist es eines der Coolsten Synths der Modernen und eines das noch DEUTLICH mehr Potenzial hat. hatte hier auf YT ein Video gesehn, das gut zeigt was aus dem Teil geht. Was gefällt mir so besonders an den teil....? Es ist eine Total Hirnlose zusammen geschossenes ding, das so nicht wirklich ein richtiges Konzept hat. Einfach nach dem Motto, was haben wir da, hauen wir zusammen und überlegen uns zumindest wie es als Einheit Funktionieren kann. So etwas macht dann Spaß wenn man damit herumfidelt. zbs als Monologer leadsynth mit 4 leicht verstellten Stimmen. Da würden mir bei dem Teil 2-3 Sachen einfallen was man damit machen kann. Es ist einfach die Hirnlose Art des Instruments, dass es zu so einer Charackterstarken Instrument macht. :) Und ja.... man findet die Dinger kaum und das nicht ohne Grund.
Denke auch, dass wir es mit einem zukünftigen Klassiker zu tun haben. Die Detuning-Kiste habe ich mehrfach versucht und keine vernünftige Anwendung (für meinen Fall) gefunden - aber da gibt es zahlreiche Möglichkeiten
This instrument has a weird ability to take me to almost a trance like mental mode. For example a MicroKorg doesn't do that to me at all. When the heat is right and the tuning set the sound really is beautiful. People should experience it first hand with a supporting dose of non-urgency. Ease up! I mean, this video perfectly nailed the true character of this animal. Also playing it cold is so refreshingly wonky when compared to almost anything. And my Rhythm Wolf agrees with this statement more than 150%.
Worst synth ever, but they should have marketed it as the "ultimate eurorack control keyboard" instead. Just say "oh, and it also is a synth by itself..."
Yes that's how I use mine, I run the outputs into different filters etc, it can sound amazing, it was a really cheap set of 4 oscillators in my opinion.
you wont believe, but Jeff Mills used live THE Timbre wolf on a PLANETS orchester show 3 years ago, so I bought one shortly´after, ... and believe what, SOLD IT IN ONE MONTH :D
I had never heard of it before walking into Guitar Center and playing it. I was so confused about how limited and bad it was for the price point. I wouldn’t pay more than $90 for it. I’m not a synth snob and love lo-fi gear etc too.
@@AudioPilz 😂 no it did not however ran through an analog mixer, add some effects and you can get some cool tones from the Wolf. Use it for bass and organ like pads.
I am new to your channel and I love it. Your sense of humor is fantastic. I watched 8 to10 video's untill now. This is the only tool I would also call awfull myself. The comparison with a Mono/Poly is VERY DANGEROUS (add echo). I've filled whole albums with the Mono/Poly as my main synth. This things is however s(beep)! About all the other video's I'd however say that people are just too spoiled nowadays. When I started almost every instrument sounded shit on it's own (noisy, no polyphony, mono out, no inbuilt effects processors, etc.). If equipment would have been as cheap then as it is now I could be driving a vintage BMW today that I would have been able to afford at the time by not spending so much money on music gear. (Plese, read this last sentence a few times and you'll get it in the end!) :-) or better :-(
Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs:
www.patreon.com/audiopilz
Support the channel regardless of what your G.A.S. tells you to buy:
EU: www.thomann.de/de/index.html?offid=1&affid=3105
US: link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-261103-9759
Literally walked into Guitar Center prepared to buy this, and the associate talked me out of it. I went home and bought a Minilogue lol
Nice guy!
you know its bad when even the guy working in the music store (probably getting commission) cant in good conscience let you buy it without warning you! lol
@@MrSpasticdancer Well, he upsold me a Minilogue in the process lol
My minilogue died I'm so gutted. Now I'm stuck with a bunch of my monos. Not going to complain though some people don't have anything. But what's up with programming on synthesizers. Most sound like they've been programmed by computers. So many that come with Presets so unmusical. Unlike the awesome Akai SGO1v vintage synth rompler, well, that's my only poly currently, now. Fantastic Insight on your Russian comment...
Well to be fair, the Minilogue is a beast of a synth so you came out on top
This series just shows that the person using the tools is more important than the tools themselves. You make all of these supposedly terrible pieces of gear sound great.
Thanks!
I think that's basically Aphex Twin in a nutshell too :)
Well what makes gear bad is mostly not just the sounds itself, pretty much all gear can be used to make good music but that doesn't make it good gear in my mind as the work flow or technical issues that pester you over a longer period rather than to make on example track. Also for the price its way to limited, even the limided korg volca keys had a lfo and the price is less than half than what the Timbre Wolfs original retail price was.
@@Andor. There's definitely truth in both of these -- that the gear doesn't make the musician, but that there are objective qualities that gear can be judged on.
The flipside of that is, if you can find a way to make consistent use of some piece of equipment that's overpriced, or too limited for anyone else to use, you end up with a sound that's even more uniquely yours.
External FX help too!
So glad TH-cam recommended me this channel about a week ago. Been binge watching since! I always used to think the Timbre Wolf seemed too tonally limited, but then an owner said something that stuck with me: "If you look at it as a traditional poly synth, it's very limited. If you look at it as if someone made a more mellow tb-303, and gave it 4-parts/4-voices, it's actually pretty fun." Having listened more to it, I totally agree, and it's on my synth wishlist now. Might have to pick one up.
Thanks! I'd say it's a future classic!
This dude can make anything sound good...there's something to be learned there.
Thanks!
If you see synths as tools, there are tools to finish your work faster, with less hassle. I’d be interested if he has to put more time into these bad gear synths to produce the same results than he would with decent devices.
Sure a master can work with bad gear, but how swift could he handle it with good gear?
I think with most other gear he sounds absolutely excellent, this time I didn't like the multi sound recording as the different elements sounded too similar due to the limitations of the synth. For example the EDM demo of the Roland A-01 sounds really great (and no, I'm not into EDM) and that synth also is very limited.
That's Talent for you. I'm sure someone with a lot of Talent could still bang out a great tune even, for example, out of an arranger like a Roland e86. And something that a lot of people don't actually realise is it also takes a lot of Talent to write a simple song that sounds amazing and not repetitive; but it is. Breath taking...
And it also has, of course, real simulated wood grain sides... been waiting for this :D another great video, cheers
It had to be in there. Thanks!
My deepmind12 has plastic sides that I really thought were wooden before I tried to bite into it.
Better then that fake crap they make out of trees.
Funny that it's called "Timbre" wolf, but that its tonal possibilities are severally limited. 😂
You can see what they were trying to do and the sequencing and individual outs are actually pretty cool as you nicely show, but it's quite an odd release.
Would be funny if it becomes the go to source for a new genre of music like the 303 did, which was also quite an odd invention for its intended purpose.
Exactly my thoughts. I see mine as an investment for the future ;)
I would like to acquire one myself for the individual outs alone. The experimentation possibilities are endless when you factor in effects. My Behringer mixer allows me to record 12 tracks at a time so 4 simultaneous tracks running through individual sessions of Guitar Rig5 and then again through another channel with say some sidechain compression and a big reverb... I imagine getting some pretty wacky sounds out of it 😁
may be bacause of the timbral possibilities of a wolf
Funny that it should be called "wolf" too. It has the killer instinct of a new born lamb. It's quite gentle and as Florian said it came out at the wrong time when all the budget analogue synths were brutish, aggressive and bad ass. Don't write this synth off people, check out Mr Fairchild th-cam.com/video/PsynRTmFdPI/w-d-xo.html and Rejected Synths th-cam.com/video/5M0Wye61Ro0/w-d-xo.html and only then will you find out how it should sound.
in finland there is a saying when something is screwed up that "it came out a wolf" ... fits like a glove
Don't forget to check out the Rhythm Wolf episode
th-cam.com/video/TZ2bL-LDwuc/w-d-xo.html
man you got exactly the same voice than tonedeff ! are you him ? lol
Not that I'm aware of ;)
I actually really dig the Timbre. I think alot of people are simply comparing it to their favorite poly synth as opposed to it's own thing.
The character of the sound definetly has its uses in my arsenal.
Demoing it in person was fun because the interface is set up great. And again, I really think the sound is great.
Agreed. Characterful sound!
I'm a member of the Wolf pack, it blends with other synths really well and the bass is huge in the lowest octave, kind of like an old organ bass if set correctly with no resonance and limited cutoff
Very inspiring instrument
I used to think this thing was trash until I played with one.
The fact that you can tweak the different notes is awesome. It’s a very unique synth. Its best used with chords. Not leads.
It’s not made to sound like every other synth. It has character, which a lot of synths lack these days.
Very inspiring machine
AudioPilz only would get one heavily discounted but yeah it puts you in a box and has a very mid range purpose lol but I honestly have never played any synth like it.
I managed to buy it (a bit under 200€) a few months after this episode. It's not very versatile, but it has a very particular tone to it that kind of reminds me of early analog "pianos". It can hold its own as an acid bass machine too. One thing you have missed in this review is that it has quite well tuned velocity sensitivity, which makes it even better at serving as an analog piano.
True, I missed that!
Having a Bad Gear Christmas day binge - the jam at 3:06 made my face scrunch up and my hand do a rude boy in da uk garage club style flick. good job. Merry Christmas!!
Thank you!!! Stick around!!!
That stalker reference 🤣
Love that movie!
Great show as always! Never dont stop
Thank you so much! Going strong 💪
I love how you take all this hated gear and make it sound good. That's the kind of contrarian bloody mindedness I can respect. Saluted!
Thank you so much. With good gear - it's easy ;)
Awesome video mate. I'm a proud owner of this so called piece of junk and absolutely love it.
Thanks!!!
Thanks for taking the time to make this video! I’ve been waiting for it since the day I recommended it! You’re awesome 😎
THX!!!
THX for your support and input. I really appreciate it
It sounds like a 1980s analog-digital hybrid casio toy keyboard.
It reminded me of a string machine
If grabbed at a cheap price, it's a gem. Like a scaled down Tetra without a keyboard. I used to hate the Wolf collection, but now I'm waking up...
They're gonna be cult classics in a few years;)
Because of this episode I went out and found one back in August and I must say I haven't used it yet but I do like it..the possibilities of what I'm going to do with it might be a little limited but that will open up my imagination
It's an inspiring instrument!
I'm pretty impressed by the results you came out with at the end of the video, I would still never consider getting the "timber wolf" but at least I know what it's capable of(even tho its really limited) and what sweet caracter it has, thanks for that AudioPilz :)
Thanks! A very inspiring synth...
What if it was dirt cheap?
@@s3nsec0rruptr80 still won't get it.
the first demo tune was the kinda stuff dreams are made of
Happy to hear that, thanks!
I second this. Makes me wish we can polychain two of them
The Rhythm and Timbre are really sheep dressed up as wolves!!!! 😆
That's true
WOW, you make it sound beautifully
Thank you!!!
... this one talked me into buying the product. pretty funny that it's the TW, of all things.
Nice😀😀😀
This was informative and hilarious. Tarkovsky's Stalker is earnestly one of my favorite films ever.
Thanks! Tarkovsky=god
Glad to see your starting to get the subs you deserve
Thanks for the support!
Moog Poly wins that award. Never stayed in tune for more tha 5 seconds.
That one came up quite a few times
It's probably perfect for churning out royalty free TH-cam 'music'. 😁🧡
Agreed! This would have been an applicatin worth mentioning
I think it sounds beautiful.
👍👍👍
You did a great job demoing the Timbre Wolf, you certainly did a better job than Akai themselves! lol Seriously though, very cool track!
Thanks! Glad to hear that!
The Wolf is used mostly as an Oscillator within my Modular System, and this synth makes a good figure there!
Nice idea
No fanboy shit here, but i have to admit - hainbach - look mum no computer and you are really blessing the synth part of my being :) it is somehow miraculous what you manage to get out of these no-go gadgets. And it looks so selbstverständlich ;) thanks for your enthusiasm and authenticity...
Selbstverständlich! Besten Dank!
I don't care, I love it: it's very easy to build a pattern, and the A/B function is great. The sound variety is limited but the tone has some modesty that it fits any music
I also like the dreamy quality of it!
Your new video is the best thing that might happen at Friday evening 😻
Thank you so much!
I was so disappointed, I returned it.
And because of this video, I subscribed! Now. To catch up watching all the others.
Thanks!
The more I think about it the more I believe it looks to be an analog SuperSaw trance machine
I mean four voices that only do saw and square, small tuning range, perfect for manual detuning? It just makes so much sense to me.
Agreed! It just doesn't sound that way ;) Much more mellow
I picked one up cheap as chips a few months back. I really like it, glad I didn't listen to the naysayers. Wouldn't have paid original RRP though. Sounds great with the 4 outs going into my DP4.
DP4s are cool!
I quite liked he sounds and the simple layout looks great. I’d give it a try at least.
Ob es nun ein Aprilscherz ist (oder Vapoware) Behringer will das Teil nun als "Timbre Wolf" raus bringen und die Seite Synth Anatomy zeigt extra auf DICH
Grund für mich das Video zu suchen und zu sehen .
Danke dir !
Immer gerne. Du weißt, die Wien Connection;)
Limited, middle of the road, as exciting as a bingo session for grannies, true Bad Gear!
It's a bingo!!!
My first analog synth. It was always out of tune, had to play many times a half step up to match the songs harmony (the tunning function didnt last for more than 10 minutes). Sold it for a couple of years, but kind of miss it too 😢
Yeah, tuning can be atrocious
All say one thing about the timberwolf its great for hiphop baselines and g funk leads its no mini moog but i finially decided to to put it to use last night for a beat i was working on and i was impressed. Its definitely gonna be my go to for basslines It also makes a nice 808 type bass too .
👍👍👍
Nice to see you tamed the wolf there.
😍Dan😍
Secret is we were only giving it terrible reviews to keep the price down but now you’ve ruined all that
Well, I already own most of that gear;)
if customers would be that smart, the world would be a better place
The Timbre Wolf sounds warmer and more analog than other analog synths I've had and its sweet spots are simply superior than the sweet spots on my Minibrute 2. That synth's failure had to do with Akai's weird marketing of it and because people focused on what it lacked rather than what it offered. Like you said the sequencer is very good. Also, you can have a lot of fun with the poly mode taking advantage of the round robin. Just like the Korg Volca Keys it's a really good and inexpensive option for a poly analog. Even though it was always an unpopular synth, there are a few good videos out there that demonstrate just how good it sounds.
Yeah, Akai really messed up in the marketing
@@AudioPilz Haha yes. But somehow I became really curious about Akai Dan. I wanted to meet him and get the whole story. Did he love the synth? What flavor of chewing gum was that?
"Dance Music With Wolves"
It's "Timbre Wolf", not dumb Ray Wolf...
The Akai Timbre Wolf is a very interesting synth, has the same concept of a Korg Mono-Poly but with very limited options but one of the best functions is the sequencer, very easy to use and have 4 tracks with 16 steps plus another 16 steps as a variation per track, not bad, also you can calibrate the oscillators if it's get out of tune, good in any analog synth.
The voices have individual outputs so you can record or process thru effects separately. For bass sound similar to a TB-303 is good, but the limitations on sound making are frustrating sometimes due a lack of parameters, it has USB and regular MIDI connections and a CV out useful for modular stuff.
I can't complain I get mine for $120 new in box and is part of my gear, if you can get one cheap go for it but no more than $200.
The sequencer on the TW is indeed very nice!
Underrated channel
Thanks! I think so, too ;)
I bought mine New in Walldorf Session for only 220€. That Was a good deal! There are really many ways to make it use. E. G. As oscillators for a modular System or a 303 Bass etc
I think it is a misunderstood instrument!
Nailed the synth hipsters with that Stalker reference!
Thanks!
That piece of music you made with it tapped into my spinal cord…so there is that…
…but in a good way…
Happy to hear that, thanks!
The TW showed promise when I bought it, but was too tough with micro SMD to run 4 external CVs to the filter pots for external CV control via CV OCD. I regret trading my TW away though. OI have seen some very cool DIY mods to this. The filter is unique as it seems to sweep from low pass to a weird type of bandpass. Would not rebuy, but I still am howling in the wilderness for the loss of this dog!
It was so hard to actually find one in my area. Not sure if I want to mod it. I see it as an investment ;)
@@AudioPilz I paid a wopping $200 CDN! In retrospect, I should have not traded away!
@@SouthShoreSonics I hope it to be the new TB303 ;)
Jeeze...if YOU couldn't get it jammin', it must really, REALLY be a dog!
Great binge channel...please keep them coming!
Cudcha get it to sequence outboard gear polyphonically? Like on a Boss Dr.202's dedicated external midi track?
I also hear ppl say its knobs output no midi messages. Is this absolutely true?
If the first answer is "yes", it might be a serviceable midi brain for mobile synths, and it's built like a tank. In such case, I'd give it a go!
Rewatching this a year later, for shits and giggles I just checked prices for this on Reverb and HOLY SHIT people are INSANE
I just hope Dan from Akai never sees this...2020 was already a rough year.
He actually went up in the ranks at Akai pretty quickly
@@AudioPilz course he did. Just like MC303 demo guy went on to work with Hans Zimmer et al. Jokes on us. Haha. PS, you are so gracious to compare your keyboard skills to Dan's. I really appreciate your humility.
I was gifted one by my brother, and was like WHOA!! until I turned it on. I figured out why he gave it away. But I use it as a bass synth in my setup and it works great for that.
Very characterful instrument!
I have the timbre wolf, I had the curiosity to buy it, to say a positive comment it’s something from another planet. Pretty much is for those that want to make Acid Techno, it has good sequencing, and it makes good baselines. It’s a modular synthesizer, pretty much it’s used like a guitar, connect guitar pedals and it makes different sounds, it’s not an FM synth. Those that are talking smack about the Timbre Wolf, don’t know about synthesizers. I like the Timbre Wolf because it’s fun to make baselines and play around with the tweaks.
That sums it up nicely
Lol at the Dances With Wolves scene!!!
Not in front of the kids!!! ;)
I'm actually buying one of these to add to my collection lol
Pretty sure they're going to get quite expensive in the future
I really like how that sounds
It surprised me, as well!
@@AudioPilz u should do an episode about the violin
Thumps up for the idea with Raimund and the modding session! Just do it!
By the way, still waiting for your grindcore album...
Thanks! So much to do, so little time... ;)
Love this episode !!
Thanks!
I have the rhythm wolf and the tomcat but I never did bother with the Timbe wolf.. I might have to rethink that 👍🏽
A very inspiring instrument
God I would have so much fun with this.
Very inspiring instrument. Like it a lot
@@AudioPilz there should be more dad-joke-based analogue synths.
Modding this one would be a fun video.
Yeah!
I do use the Rhythm Wolf and like it. It has serious limitations, but it's great for what it is. It's funny, when trying to figure out how to use it, I came to similar conclusion as you about low frequency and effects :D
Yeah, it sounds so melancholic and distant, somehow...
I had the joy of playing this at guitar center and being so confused. HA
... still a very inspiring synth
I want to see you review the MC 307 and the Yamaha RM1X
Nice input! Unfortunately, the Roland is almost unobtainable in my area
You can really get some wild results out of it with mods.
I know but I want to keep it in its original state (bc I think it's gonna be EXTREMELY sought after in a few years;)
It's got Akai and Wolf written on it. That spells 'doom' only uses more letters.... After that other Akai Wolf thing... They should have renamed it prior to release, might have had some kind of a chance. The rarity of it now tells it's own story. The other Wolf, the really hopeless one is really plentiful
It's got some really nice sounds
@@AudioPilz I think I'll grab one when I see one of the fix or six that Akai managed to shift
I like the idea of synths with their own sequencers, like you say it does seem tonally limited though. Wonder how cheap you can pick one up.
It was really hard to actually get one where I live
@@AudioPilz You said you ended up paying over the odds. I like the challenge of getting separate sequencers all talking together. So the idea of another bit of kit which I have to get synced to everything else is quite appealing. I just have to be able to justify the expense of more new kit hence the hybrid nature of my hardware setup.
I got this thing for $200 all in a few years ago. The salesman was trying to talk me out of it but I could see some of its properties as a unique plus. Sequencer is very good, tone is limited tho 100% on point, ability to alter individual lines with pedals opens it up quite a bit. My only serious gripe is the tuning unable to down/up step by a full octave. This would've been really nice for mono mode.
It'll be super expensive in 10 years;)
That would be something! It would take some convincing to part with it though. It does the one sound it has very well; the simplicity has charm.
I would like to hear the Yamaha Pss 680 2 OP FM Keyboard!
Great idea but it's almost too good 😅
@@AudioPilz ok there is the fisherprice toykeyboard for Babies from 1-3 years old, there are Button with Lion scream, Cats miau and Rhythems. Really evil, and not good for childeren with music talents...
You made that thing sing
Thank you!!!
Timbre wolf is just the wackest TB303 clone x 4. I love mine.
"Wack" hits the nail on the head (no pun intended;)
The difference between indifference and brilliance is six resistors. (Drops mic and leaves stage)
Word!
That jam at 2:10 was so good..
Thank you!!!
You can see what went wrong here. It sounds like a 1970's home organ.
It's called a 'Wolf' but it's a total . It has a 'howl' knob which seems like a contradiction in terms but I'm guessing it doesn't 'howl' as it doesn't get even a mention here. Perhaps it makes a sound like if you stepped on the cat.
It has 'Timber' sides. . . . . . but they're not actually timber.
It has individual outs for four voices that sound the same whatever you do to them.
It's like, as Homer Simpson said. . . . . . Oppositeland. . . .🤯
Despite owning so many of the items featured on 'Bad Gear' I dodged this one and. . . . . . I think I'll probably keep it that way 😉
They should have sold it as the "Mellow Kitten"
Great channel.. would love if it you could review a korg wave drum though that might be too neiche, i own one though trust me its 'bad gear.. hey what was your video where the best part of the song/jam you made was when you 'hit a black key' ive been binge watchign you and i cant remeber what episode it was.
Thanks! The black key thing appears rather often (i think the first time was the Korg Volca Workstation episode)
Man, that real wolf at the end of the video is cooler than all the sounds coming out of the synth. What's his name and where did you pick him up?
True that! Found him on YT;)
Um ehrlich zu sein ist es eines der Coolsten Synths der Modernen und eines das noch DEUTLICH mehr Potenzial hat. hatte hier auf YT ein Video gesehn, das gut zeigt was aus dem Teil geht.
Was gefällt mir so besonders an den teil....? Es ist eine Total Hirnlose zusammen geschossenes ding, das so nicht wirklich ein richtiges Konzept hat. Einfach nach dem Motto, was haben wir da, hauen wir zusammen und überlegen uns zumindest wie es als Einheit Funktionieren kann. So etwas macht dann Spaß wenn man damit herumfidelt. zbs als Monologer leadsynth mit 4 leicht verstellten Stimmen. Da würden mir bei dem Teil 2-3 Sachen einfallen was man damit machen kann.
Es ist einfach die Hirnlose Art des Instruments, dass es zu so einer Charackterstarken Instrument macht. :)
Und ja.... man findet die Dinger kaum und das nicht ohne Grund.
Denke auch, dass wir es mit einem zukünftigen Klassiker zu tun haben. Die Detuning-Kiste habe ich mehrfach versucht und keine vernünftige Anwendung (für meinen Fall) gefunden - aber da gibt es zahlreiche Möglichkeiten
Facebook brought me here. Love your vids!
Welcome and thank you!
Even my Microfreak has real, simulated woodgrain sides. Sold separately of course!
I want those!
@@AudioPilz The side panels? Wood & Synths on eBay. Great stuff. The Microfreak is great too. It's my first synth and I'm really enjoying it.
This instrument has a weird ability to take me to almost a trance like mental mode. For example a MicroKorg doesn't do that to me at all.
When the heat is right and the tuning set the sound really is beautiful. People should experience it first hand with a supporting dose of non-urgency. Ease up!
I mean, this video perfectly nailed the true character of this animal.
Also playing it cold is so refreshingly wonky when compared to almost anything. And my Rhythm Wolf agrees with this statement more than 150%.
Agreed!
Yep shite but I would still love to find a video of somebody who's made it sound beautiful I'm sure it must exist
There are some nice videos of it being used for classical music
It's mellow tone is its strength it sounds like nothing else
Agreed!!!
if this were semimodular it might be worthwhile. being able to send 4 voices into a eurorack set up would be handy.
Close, but no cigar...
Worst synth ever, but they should have marketed it as the "ultimate eurorack control keyboard" instead. Just say "oh, and it also is a synth by itself..."
Yes, would probably have been the better move
Yes that's how I use mine, I run the outputs into different filters etc, it can sound amazing, it was a really cheap set of 4 oscillators in my opinion.
00:04 That is what I call a moustache.
KC got it covered...
I bought one new for $199. It's a good piece for that price... especially MIDI'd up with other synths.
It's a great team player!
you wont believe, but Jeff Mills used live THE Timbre wolf on a PLANETS orchester show 3 years ago, so I bought one shortly´after, ... and believe what, SOLD IT IN ONE MONTH :D
Wow, didn't know! I have to rewatch that
I had never heard of it before walking into Guitar Center and playing it. I was so confused about how limited and bad it was for the price point. I wouldn’t pay more than $90 for it. I’m not a synth snob and love lo-fi gear etc too.
I have to admit that I really like the mellow sound
dude how the hell did you make it sound so good? Mastering and effects from the daw??
I'd say it's just a matter of context
Had some custom real wood sides made for mine. 😎🐺
Kewl! Did the sound improve?;)
@@AudioPilz 😂 no it did not however ran through an analog mixer, add some effects and you can get some cool tones from the Wolf. Use it for bass and organ like pads.
I am new to your channel and I love it. Your sense of humor is fantastic. I watched 8 to10 video's untill now. This is the only tool I would also call awfull myself. The comparison with a Mono/Poly is VERY DANGEROUS (add echo). I've filled whole albums with the Mono/Poly as my main synth. This things is however s(beep)! About all the other video's I'd however say that people are just too spoiled nowadays. When I started almost every instrument sounded shit on it's own (noisy, no polyphony, mono out, no inbuilt effects processors, etc.). If equipment would have been as cheap then as it is now I could be driving a vintage BMW today that I would have been able to afford at the time by not spending so much money on music gear. (Plese, read this last sentence a few times and you'll get it in the end!) :-) or better :-(
Thanks! Got it😂
The timbre wolf is basically one synth preset with a 25 key keyboard and some basic performance controls. But hey it’s analog.
That sums it up nicely!!!